Zachary Levi on Shazam: It's Tom Hanks' Big with Superpowers

Zachary Levi was recently announced as the star of Shazam!, and now he has compared the comic book movie to Tom Hanks's comedy Big, but with "superpowers." Director David F. Sandberg was announced at the beginning of the year, and we just learned the Levi was starring as the origin Captain Marvel at the beginning of this month. Since then, there's been a lot of talk about the Chuck star taking on a superhero movie. Some don't think he can do it. But Levi seems ready to take on the challenge, and is starting to train, getting into superhero shape.

In a recent interview with KTLA-5, Zachary Levi discussed Shazam!, comparing it to Tom Hanks' 1988 comedy classic, Big. The idea sounds perfect for Shazam! when one stops to think about it, or even most comic book movies for that matter. Levi had this to say.

"The hope is that it's gonna feel like the movie Big, but with super powers... You're gonna have the heart of that kind of Tom Hanks of the kid in you."

This comparison makes sense, considering the story of Shazam! is about a boy who uses a magic word to transform into a superhero adult. The themes of wish fulfillment and childhood fantasy explored in Tom Hanks' movie will most likely be present in Shazam! as well, but with the added complication of superpowers instead of just being a normal adult.

Zachary Levi also revealed that he is prepared to start training for the role and also talked about when he first realized that he would have to get in superhero shape. He says it will take him as long as necessary to get there for the role, and also that he plans to stay in shape after production has wrapped. Which is smart since we could end up seeing a lot more of Shazam in the years to come. Levi was recently cast as Shazam, while Disney Channel star Asher Angel stars as Billy Batson, the boy who turns into the superhero. Mark Strong is also rumored to portray the film's antagonist Dr. Sivana. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was originally attached to the movie as Black Adam, but will reportedly star in a solo spin-off instead.

Warner Bros. is looking to start filming Shazam! next year, so Zachary Levi has his work cut out for him to prepare for the role. Levi was present for the Justice League premiere where he shared a message to DC fans on the official DC Instagram page. He had this to say.

"Hey, it's Zachary Levi, and I just want to give a quick shout out to all of the fans of the DCEU, and say thank you so much for your love and support. I am out of my mind excited to play Shazam, and super excited to be here at the Justice League premiere. Hope y'all thoroughly enjoy the movie when it comes out, sending you all my love."

Fans have been excited about the Shazam! project for years, so it's finally nice to see some forward movement. In addition, Zachary Levi seems like the perfect choice to play the character.

Shazam! won't hit theaters until April of 2019 and the movie has yet to begin production, but the wait is sure to go by quick, especially since we have set photos and first glimpses at the characters to look forward to in the not so distant future. More casting is underway as well, but expect more news to drop soon. In the meantime, check out Zachary Levi's interview about Shazam! and his comparisons to Tom Hanks' Big below, courtesy of Oberelias' Twitter account.